


harmony

by spacebutterfly



Category: Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-15 13:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2230389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacebutterfly/pseuds/spacebutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soseki overslept again, but Rachel isn't going to let him stay in bed on this day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	harmony

This was it. After all this time, he was going to get his first big break in years.

That flash of rainbow-coloured feathers in the bushes could belong to no other than the rainbow-tailed peacock. It was so rare it see it out of hiding, but here it was: pecking around just a few mere metres away from him. If he could just get a photo of it, what a fantastic article he could write!

He just had to be quiet, very quiet. If he jumped out at it it would run off immediately, so he'd have to take slow, careful steps, and wait for it to move out of the bushes...He took a step forwards. The peacock chirped to itself, completely unaware of his presence. He took another step.

“Soseki!!” The peacock disappeared in a flurry of feathers. “Soseki!! Are you awake?”

Soseki woke with a start. Who on earth was rapping on his door so loudly at this time of morning?!

He glanced at the clock beside his bed, which read 9:30 AM. Well, maybe it wasn't so early after all...

“I'm coming, I'm coming,” he said loudly, to stave off the continued knocks on the door. After about 5 minutes of tiredly getting dressed (in which most of the minutes were spent day-dreaming about the peacock), he opened the door.

In fact, he should have realised who it was sooner, because nobody's voice was quite as chirpy as hers, and nobody else would care to wake him in the morning, either.

“Oh, it's you, Rachel,” he said, trying not to sound too pleased. “What brings you here on this fine morning?”

“You should wake up earlier,” she replied, pouting. “It's better for your health.”

“Now, is it really...but when you're my age you need some rest and relaxation, too. Too bad that young people like you just won't let me be!”

“Didn't Klaus say you should wake up earlier, too?” said Rachel suspiciously. “Anyway, I'm not here about that.” Before Soseki could get a word in, she pulled her bag off her shoulders and reached into it. “You forgot, didn't you?” The girl smiled with amusement as she pulled out a pretty little box. It was pink and had a little red ribbon tied around it.

Soseki was completely bemused. “And what is this?”

“You're still half asleep, aren't you?” Rachel huffed. “It's Winter Harmony Day! So here, it's your gift!” She pushed the box into his hands. “I know you don't really like chocolate, but it's tradition, so...”

An unexpected, unwarranted feeling of warmth kindled itself in the pit of Soseki's stomach. Well, of course he hadn't remembered that it was Winter Harmony Day – when was the last time anyone had given him anything for it?

“Well, how kind of you to give chocolates to an old man like me,” he said, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. “I suppose you have plenty of other strapping young men that you're about to give chocolates to as well, don't you?”

Rachel smiled shyly, apparently electing not to answer his question. “I have a lot of things I need to do today. I'll see you again sometime. Make sure you wrap up warm, okay, and don't go to bed too late!”

“Fine, fine,” Soseki insisted. The girl grinned and practically skipped away down the road. It seemed that she was going to the river; probably fishing.

Soseki returned to his room, willing himself to stop feeling so mushy. Be sensible, he told himself sternly. There was no need to over-think Rachel's kind gesture. That was just the way she was, after all. It didn't necessarily mean what he was thinking, no, not at all. Definitely not. It would be unreasonable for him to think any more.

 

He told himself that, and he willed himself to believe it, but even so, her smile was on his mind for the rest of the day, and for quite a few days after, too.


End file.
